Classical Philology
A program combining in-depth philological training with cutting-edge approaches to classical literature. The Department of Classics at Yale offers its students the resources and encouragement to explore their interests, gain a firm grounding in philology, and develop a holistic view of the classical world in a supportive and vibrant academic community.
Classics and Philosophy
The Classics and Philosophy Program is a combined PhD program, offered by the Departments of Philosophy and of Classics at Yale, for students wishing to pursue graduate study in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. Suitably qualified students may apply for entry to the program either through the Department of Classics for the Classics Track or through the Department of Philosophy for the Philosophy track. Applicants to the combined program are strongly encouraged to submit a writing sample on a topic in ancient philosophy.
Classics and History
The combined degree program in Classics and History, with a concentration in ancient history, is offered by the Departments of Classics and History for students wishing to pursue graduate study in the history of the ancient Mediterranean, western Eurasia, and northern Africa. Students are admitted with a primary home in either History or Classics. The combined degree offers students a comprehensive education in the fundamental skills and most current methodologies in the study of the ancient Greek and Roman Mediterranean and its interaction with Eurasian and African cultures and landscapes. Its object is to train leaders in research and teaching by preparing them to handle the basic materials of ancient history through mastery of traditional linguistic and technical skills. At the same time, students rediscover, reshape, and repurpose traditional and nontraditional source materials using the most up-to-date and sophisticated tools at the historian’s disposal.
Classical Art and Archaeology
A graduate program combining a focus on material culture with thorough training in ancient languages and ancient history and exposure to various Classics subfields. The program is designed to allow students to develop their own areas of expertise at the highest level, encouraging students to broaden their studies through classes in related fields (e.g., history, anthropology), the art of other periods and geographies, or participation in field projects. It is expected that students acquire a broad and deep knowledge of the material culture of the ancient Mediterranean and adjacent areas both through classes offered and independent studies.
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Classics and Comparative Literature
The joint PhD in Classics and Comparative Literature at Yale offers a range of coursework and research topics that combine the flexibility of comparative study with the challenge and rigor of classical philology. Yale is famous for its commitment to interdisciplinarity: this degree offers a first-hand chance to see that in action, allowing students to become familiar with recent developments in literary theory while simultaneously perfecting their Greek and Latin through intensive reading of classical texts in the original.
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Classics and Early Modern Studies
Early Modern Studies offers a combined Ph.D. degree that integrates concentration in a partner department with interdisciplinary study of the historical period between 1350 and 1800, a temporal range that recognizes “early modernity” as manifested differently and at different times across the world. The program’s scope is global, transnational, transcultural, and committed to a vision of an interlinked world with many varied, locally inflected transitions to modernity. Inclusive in scholarship and teaching, the combined degree encourages students to forge connections with diverse disciplinary frameworks, geographic conjunctures, and institutional structures. Entry is by application at the end of the first year of study.
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Archaia
A qualification in the multidisciplinary study of antiquity open to Yale Ph.D. students from across the University. Archaia is a collaborative forum bringing together one of the largest groups of scholars in the world working on early civilizations. Scholars in the humanities and social sciences join with those working in the Yale Divinity School, the Yale Law School, the collections, and the university libraries. While admiring and encouraging traditional modes of work and traditional fields of scholarship, we build a new inter- and multi-disciplinary framework that redefines old disciplinary boundaries. The certificate program provides enhanced training to graduate students with wide-ranging interests in the ancient and premodern world to extend their studies beyond departmental lines. Program students are expected to fulfill the requirements of the home department, but their course of study is individually modified to allow for interdisciplinary work through classes, examinations, and guidance by faculty in several departments. While not housed in Classics, Archaia is a popular certificate pursued by our students.
Master’s Degrees
The Department of Classics does not admit students for a terminal master’s degree. Ph.D. students who complete the graduate coursework relevant to their course of study with a sufficient grade distribution are awarded an en route M.A.
Advanced Yale undergraduates may be eligible to complete a simultaneous B.A. and M.A. as detailed here.
Our graduate handbook
We have a comprehensive handbook designed to provide all the information you may need